2 (formerly 3) grown ups sharing a kitchen in inner city Melbourne. Both determined to eat very well for under $10/meal each. A place to share recipes, stories and cooking tips and, of course, to convert "meal in a box" believers and takeout food regulars

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

I have mentioned how much I adore chicken curry and it was on our menu yet again. The leftover was turned into another one of my childhood favourites. You can easily replace the Hokkien noodles with your choice of noodles. Please check out myMalaysian chicken curry mee (mee = noodles) if you prefer something with a broth. For those who are not familiar with the caramel sauce that I use so often in many of my recipes, I have attached a photo and descriptions below and I hope that is useful to you.

Monday, May 23, 2011

I made this specially for my blogger friend Ija from Arah at our old place and for some reasons it was never posted. Since she is back blogging I thought I might just give her a little reward for her comeback. One would have easily guessed why it has such a peculiar name by the direct translation of the dish (麻婆豆腐 literally translates as pock-marked lady or granny's tofu) so I am not going to bore you with the origin of the dish. A popular dish served at most Chinese restaurants even before the new wave of Sichuanese restaurants popped up everywhere in the recent years, the problem is they all served the dumped down versions for westerners and I am no fan of that! Thanks to Fuchia Dunlop's Sichuan Cookery I was able to produced a dish that completely cured my Sichuanese friend's homesickness, well ..... for a little while at least.
P.S I should be able to put up a Malaysian Monday post on Wednesday so remember to come back for that!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

It seems to me almost every culture has a chicken soup that is considered a tonic and there is no exception for the Lebanese. Though I am not too sure about the healing power of this soup but it certainly tastes great and I see it as a wonderful way to end our short tour to the Middle East and North Africa, especially after all the previous dishes which were laden with quite a lot of spices. This gentle soup is light and very easy on the palate so it is not difficult to understand why it is generally served when someone is feeling unwell.

recipe adapted from Abla's Lebanese Kitchen

serves 4

you'll need;

2 chicken breasts

2 l of chicken stock

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1 brown onion, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped parsley, including stems

3 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp of allspice

1/2 cup of crushed egg vermicelli

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the onion and tomatoes.

Prepare the parsley and egg vermicelli.

Place chicken, bay leaves and cinnamon stick in a pot and slowly bring it to a simmer. Put the lid on and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot and allow to cool and discharge the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred and cut into bite size pieces and set aside.

Add onion, parsley and tomatoes into the stock and bring it to a simmer.

Add allspice, season with salt and pepper and return chicken to the pot and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes.

Finally add egg vermicelli and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve immediately with some extra chopped parsley and let the healing process begins.

Friday, May 20, 2011

It was a similar dish that triggered the little Middle Eastern revolution at the tummies'. The culprit came from a reputable restaurant and with a price tag of $32 we were expecting a lot more than a few pieces of lamb cubes on a bed of turmeric rice (not the saffron rice stated on the menu). Well dwelling on the past won't get us anyway but a little research and patience will guaranty many happy tummies and that was exactly we I did. I adapted a dish cooked by the "hairy bikers" during their Moroccan road tour (it was done in a tagine) and you will have to try to find out how tasty it is. Like all stews this one tastes a lot better the next day so make a big pot and embrace the cold Melbourne nights.

P.S The cost for this memorable meal enough to feed 6 to 8 was around $30.

Put the drained chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Rub a handful of chickpeas at a time between your hands to loosen the skins. Run more water into the bowl and remove the skins that float to the top. Repeat until all skins are removed. Drain and set aside.

Heat a little oil in a pot and brown lamb in batches until golden. Drain and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to the pot and saute the chopped aromatics. Add in the spices and harissa when the spices are soften and continue to cook for a minute or two on medium heat, be careful not to burn the spices.

Return the lamb to the pot follow by the chopped tomatoes, stock and herbs and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, simmer with the lid on until lamb is very tender (1.5 - 2 hours).

Add chickpeas and cook for a further 10 minutes, check for seasonings and it is ready to be served.

To cook the saffron rice - Wash rice and drain well in a sieve. Heat the oil in a pan and add the well drained rice, stir to make sure every grain of rice is coated with the oil. Transfer rice to a rice cooker and add enough water (roughly 4 cups) to cover the rice, add saffron and a little salt and press cook. When the rice is done, add in the butter and mix it lightly with a fork.

Ladle some lamb over a bed of saffron rice or couscous and serve with a tomato, cucumber and onion salad.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

It has been a completely crazy week for me and I am glad I have this little world to escape to even though it is only for a temporary respite. As promised I am posting a dish that doesn't need much introduction to anyone who is familiar with Lebanese cuisine. Fattoush has everything that made up a great salad; the refreshing herbs, crunchy vegetables, a vibrant dressing and the added bonus of crispy shards of toasted Lebanese bread. Purslane was growing wild in our garden up till early autumn, to me this is a perfect way to rid the garden of any unwanted weeds.

P.S Purslane (馬齒莧, pronounced ma chi xian) is also a popular vegetable in Sichuan cooking. It can be found during the hotter months in good Middle Eastern shops, or try foraging near Merri Creek.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

After a lackluster Lebanese/North African meal at a restaurant, I decided to take a "culinary trip" through the troubled regions of Middle East and North Africa. This is such a simple dish to make at home especially if you already have some harissa in your fridge and the marinade will work equally well with beef, lamb or even seafood. I served the skewers with fattoush (Lebanese bread salad) and that will be posted in the coming days.

P.S I have managed to restore my nasi minyak post that went missing since last week, unfortunately all your lovely comments are gone.

I made this fabulous side dish using my dear friend Makcik Manggis' (Jom Masak... Jom Makan-Makan ) recipe, terima kasih makcik! I have had this numerous times at Malay weddings but making it at home was a first for me thanks to the very easy to follow recipe. I served it with the curry kambing (Malaysian goat curry) I posted a week ago and I think they are a match made in heaven. If you want something festive to go with your next Malaysian meal please remember to try this out!

P.S I have been away from the computer for a few days and just realized this post was removed so I am reposting this.